Collapsible support



March 19, 1935. G. H. WEBB COLLAPSIBLE SUPPORT 7 Filed May 21, 1932INVENTOR T g 1 l' Patented Mar. 19, 1935 it v UNITED STATE PATE1,995,163 COLLAPSIBLE sorro'nr George H. Webb, Glendale, Long "Island,N. Y. Application May 21, maaseriaine.612,705 3 Claims; (01. 24s 43 Thisinvention relates to telescopic supports of the legs are snapped intoposition on the lower and in particular to those of the tripod typesection of the support, and I I which are employed with cameras or'withother Figure is a continuation of the Figure 3 and devices that are tobe supported in spaced reillustrates the upper portion of the device. 5lation withthe ground and which it is desired Referring to the drawingin -detai1,5 indicates '5 to easily collapse and transport an outertubular section and '6, an innertubular A particular object, of myinvention is to pro section which has sliding frictional fit with eachvide a telescopic support which, to a minimum other so that the innersection 6 may be drawn length has few parts, is light ofv weight, makesout or extended to the proper height to suitably use of one of its partsas a carrying case and adjust the height of the camera above the 1 whichfeature is an important object of my ground to the subjectbeingphotographed. If invention. "desired, the tubular section .6 may beprovided A still further object .of the invention is to with a ring orferrule? at one end to limit the provide means for folding the legs ofthe device collapsing movement'of the member 6 into memtogether and thenprojecting them into one of her 5 and to provide aflush'surface-throughout 5 the telescopic'parts of the device so thatthey are the length of the device. The outer end of the completelyhidden fromview but when drawn tube 6 ispreferably closedand arranged tohold' out and moved to their supporting position are the stud washerv ordisk 8. which carries the sturdy and do not collapse whenthe device isthreaded stud 9 projecting through a suitable picked up for movementfrom place to place as opening in the end of the tubularmember 6. 20in'the taking of pictures where it isnecessary This threaded studextending slightly is arto focus the camera from different angles andranged to be threaded into a suitable opening 'in necessary to carry thetripod around with the a camera that maybe supported on the upper cameraand-set it up at difierent locations.v end ofthe device- The tubularmember. 6 is r orgies- A still .furtherobjectofmy invention is to drawnout through the-end 10 of the outer tubu- 25 provide a device of thecharacter referred to lar section 5 which section constitutes a carry- 1which is particularly adapted for use with caming case'for the deviceandon its outer surface eras and which can .be raised to a maximum isprovided with the brackets 11 which are se height or dropped to aminimum height so that cured. in any suitable manner to the exterior"the photographing of small subjects near the surface of the member 5 andare arranged :to 30 round may be facilitated without changing the holdthe ends of the handle 12. This member I position of the legs of thedevice. 5 is also provided with a ferrule or ring 13 hav- Changes andvariations may be made in the ing openings 14 therein spacedsubstantially 1'20 constructionshown Zand described without dedegreesapart for .the accommodationof three parting from the principles of theinvention or legs that are employed in supporting the device, 35sacrificing its chief advantages; hence such init being understood thatany number of openvention is not to be confined to the structures ingsmay be provided depending upon the numshown in the accompanying drawing,in which; her oflegs used in the support. This ring 13 is Figure 1 is aview in elevation of telescopic provided with a bevel 15 at its edgesandissesupports constructed in accordance with my incured by solderingor otherwise to the member 40 vention, parts thereof being broken awayto dis- 5 and is so shaped by the bevel 15 that its mid close theinterior position of the parts when the portion 16 is in spaced relationwith the outer device is not in use, this figure also illustratingsurface of the member 5 so that the member 13 the function of one of thetelescopic sections is employed in securing the ends of the legs to as acarrying case for the remainder of the supthe outer surface of themember 5 when the de- 45 port construction. vice is in use.

Figure 2 is an enlarged end view of the device In order to support thetelescopic sections 5 as illustrated in Figure 1. and 6 in spacedrelation with the ground, use isv Figure 3 is a section in elevation ofthe device made of the legs 17, three of which areprovided as it wouldappear when extended, the position for the purpose of illustration, toconstitute a 50 of the legs being shown in outline in their foldedtripod, each of the legs 17 being connected positon after having beenwithdrawn and in full through the medium of a link 18 with an ear 19lines in open position to support the device. secured on one side of aflanged cup 20 disposed Figure 4 is an enlarged section taken on thewithin the member 5 so that when the legs are lines 4-4 of Figure 3illustrating how the ends in use, the ears 19 thereof extend through asuitable opening 21 in the closed end 22 of the member 5. The legs 17are substantially U-shaped in cross section and have pivoted thereto asat 23, the ends of the links 18, the opposite ends of the links beingpivoted as at 24 to the ears 19, before referred to, so that from theposition illustrated in outline in Figure 3, the legs 17 are folded orturned about the pivot point 23 until the ends 25 thereof are inposition to be snapped into the openings 14 of the ring 13. In order toremovably connect the ends 25 of the legs 17 with the ring 13, use ismade of detent balls 26 positioned in suitable depressions in the innerwalls of the legs 17 and maintained in the depressions through themedium of springs 27. It is quite evident that when the end 2.5 of theleg is projected through the opening 14 of the ring 13, the balls willyield but will snap out and imprison the end of the leg 17 in the ring13 so that its subsequent detachment is readily performed, but when thedevice is picked up, as a whole in use, the legs will not collapse andthe device may be moved from place to place during the taking ofpictures without any attention to the legs, the device being portableand compact and particularly adapted for use of the amateur. I l

In order that the legs may be secured within the inner tubular portion 6When the device is collapsed, the said portion 6 is provided with a cup30, the wall of which is tapered, the cup being secured in position inany suitable manner such as by soldering andbeing arranged tofrictionally receive and hold the tapered flangeof the cup 20 to whichthe ears 19 are secured so that, as illustrated in Figure 1, when thelegs are pushed through the end opening 21 of the mem her 5, the cup 20will frictionally engage in the cup 30 carried by the member 6 and inopening the device, the projecting end of the member 6 beyond the member5 is drawn upon and the detent balls 26 in the ends of the legs willprevent the ends of the legs from being drawn completely through theopening 21 in the end of the member 5 with the result that the cup 30will pull a telescopic support which may be collapsed'to.

a minimum height, can be moved from place to place without adjustmentofthe legs each time, is portable and compact and particularly adaptedfor the use of the amateur and can be quickly and easily adjusted toproper height to suit the photographic subject.

It is also evident that I have made use of one of the telescopicsections of my device as a carrying case and by suitably coloring theouter section 5, it may be made ornamental and may be carried from placeto place without the necessity of using a leather covering or any otherdevice that is now commonly employed to carry the tripod about in.

My invention is not to be restricted to the precise details ofconstruction shown since various changes and modifications may be madetherein without departing from the scope of the invention or sacrificingthe advantages derived from its use.

What I claim is:-

1. In a device of the character described, a plurality of frictionallyinterfitting tubular members, one of said members constituting acarrying casing and having an opening in one end thereof, a plurality oflegs in said member arranged to be withdrawnthrough said opening andsecured to said member to support the device and means at one end ofeachleg for limiting the withdrawal movement of the legs.

2. In a device of the character described, a plurality of frictionallyinterfitting tubular members, one of said members having an opening inone end thereof, a plurality of legs in said member arranged to bewithdrawn through said opening and secured to one of the members tosupport the device in usable position, means for releasably holding saidlegs in concealed position within said members, and said means beingoperable upon a withdrawal of one of said interfitting tubular membersto release said legs whereby the same may be Withdrawn through theopening.

3. In a device of the character described, a plurality of frictionallyinterfitting tubular members, one of said members having an opening inone end thereof, a plurality of legs in said mem ber arranged to bewithdrawn through said opening, means for limiting said withdrawalmovement including a cup, and links pivotally connecting said legs andcup, latching means in the ends ofsaid legs and means on one of saidtubular members to which the ends of said legs may be releasably securedby said latching means. I

GEORGE H. WEBB. [n.SJ'

